Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson today welcomed 114 new police recruits to the Department’s Training Academy, the first class of 2018 and another step in the city’s plan to grow CPD by nearly 1,000 officers.  The Police Department is not only growing in total size, but is also more diverse than ever before and has the most diverse leadership in CPD history. This new class builds on the progress that has been made, as 68 percent of the January class of recruits are minority. This group of new recruits is also 23 percent female and includes 55 CPS graduates, 17 military veterans and 14 with CPD family members.  During six months of training at Police Academy, recruits learn all applicable laws and protocols for being a Chicago Police Officer. In addition to physical training, they receive instruction in procedural justice, mental health awareness, crisis intervention and de-escalation, use of force, community building and critical thinking. When these officers graduate they will have access to new tools, technology and resources to partner with the community and fight violent crime. This includes last week’s announcement of the completion of strategic nerve centers in the 3rd (Grand Crossing) and 4th (South Chicago) Districts. In those districts, station-based Strategic Decision Support Centers, district-wide gunshot detection systems, POD crime cameras and mobile phone technology have been installed to support police in preventing, combating and responding to violent crime in the south and west sides.